Fairy Tale Short Stories
by Sunnyflight170
Summary: I have a few fairy tale like stories i'm writing, and I want to organize them somewhere i can read them easily. If you're reading this, hope you enjoy it as much as i do! (I may or may not add other stories, so it is marked as complete)


**from sparkingstoryinspiration on tumblr, A witch who made some bad decisions in her youth is forced to adopt and raise a child. A retelling of rapunzel.**

**...**

It's amazing how just one small action can change the future. Maybe if she had waited just a few moments to douse the candle, maybe if she'd ignored the shadow in her garden… she wouldn't be here now.

...

"Hey!" Rosemary called as she threw her door open, rushing into her garden. The figure froze and slowly stood, allowing her a good look at him.

It was one of her neighbors, Johnathan Gray, if she was remembering right. There were a few leaves clenched in his hands.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, frowning.

Johnathan looked down at the leaves in his hand, and held them out to her.

"I was hoping we could have some rampion," he said. "You see, my wife is having very serious cravings for it right now because of her pregnancy, and she doesn't want to eat anything else. If she doesn't eat, I'm afraid she'll fall ill."

"Say no more," Rosemary said, waving her hand in the air. "Take as much as you like." she started to turn back to the house, but Johnathan's voice stopped her.

"I've heard about witches like you," he said. "Surely you'll demand something in return?"

Rosemary stiffened. "No. just take the rampion and go."

"Tell you what," Johnathan said, as if Rosemary hadn't spoken. "After Claire's cravings stop and i don't need your rampion any more, I'll bring you something in exchange. Deal?" he held his hand out.

Reluctantly, Rosemary allowed herself to take it. "Deal." they shook, and she sighed as he rushed back to his home. This was apart of her life, and the life of most other witches. When someone offered a witch something in exchange for what she'd already agreed to give them, they only had two options. Accept, or bargain for something else. Many of them liked it, while others, like herself, considered it a curse.

She went inside, trying to look on the bright side. "How bad could it be?" she murmured to herself, shutting the door. "He just said 'something'. It could be something simple. He wouldn't give away anything crazy."

Calmed, she went to her bedroom and turned in for the night. She was confident that everything would turn out fine.

… (major timeskip. I do not think that either of us wants to go through eight months of nothing)

Eight months had passed since her deal with Johnathan, and he still had not brought her anything for her rampion. She assumed that Claire's cravings had stopped, because he had not taken any recently.

She'd watched from her door when a doctor rushed into the house. Assuming that was when Claire gave birth, and that was when the cravings stopped, that meant Johnathan was two months passed the due date of their bargain. At this point, the witch who had made the bargain was free to do what they wished.

She could take revenge, or take the item away herself. But Rosemary didn't want to take either action. As far as she was concerned, Johnathan could keep whatever thing he had in mind. She would not force him to give it to her, and her life would go on as normal. Or at least, that's what she thought…

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Rosemary woke with a start, looking around her bedroom blearily. The knock sounded again, and she slid off the bed and stepped quietly across the floor to leave the room. Who could be visiting her at this hour?

She opened the door just as the person knocked again, cutting them off in the middle. When it was all the way open, she saw a familiar face.

"Johnathan? What are you doing here?" she heard soft cooing, and looked down to see a baby girl cradled in his arms. Growing worried, she looked at him in concern. "Is something wrong?"

Johnathan shook his head. "No. I'm just holding up my end of our bargain."

Rosemary blinked at him, confused, then down at the baby. Realization dawning, she looked at him in horror and backed away.

"No," she whispered. "Please. Something else. Anything else!"

He stepped forward, holding out the baby. "In return for your rampion, I give you my first born."

Immediately, the magic took hold of her body and forced her forward. She held her arms out, and Johnathan put the baby into them.

"Why?" she whispered, rocking the young girl back and forth. "I could have taken anything. Why would you give me your daughter?"

Johnathan's face suddenly morphed from serious to angry. "I never wanted a child," he said. He glared at the girl. "And she only brought me trouble, forcing me to take rampion from your garden to satisfy her mother's cravings. But I couldn't tell my wife- she loved the little brat from the moment she was born. It took me a month and a half to convince her to leave her alone for the entire night, and then another two weeks to figure out her schedule for sneak-checking on her." he rolled his eyes, then smirked at Rosemary. "But if a witch demanded her in return for rampion, it wouldn't be my fault." as he finished speaking, a scream sounded from close by. His smirk grew wider. "That would be my wife. You'd better run while you can- you know no one will believe the word of a witch over me." he put a scared expression on his face, then bolted from her home.

As Rosemary closed the door, she heard Claire's cries of fear. Still cradling the baby girl, she took a shaky breath and pulled a black bag out from it's place by the door. She tossed in a few items- all her money, packets of seeds, and some apples and carrots. She didn't have time to get much else- she'd have to come back later, if she could.

She grabbed her cloak off of a hook, slipping it on and pulling it over her shoulders, and the hood over her head.

Taking the bag in her hands, she pulled the door open and rushed outside. As she ran to her cart, she saw candles lit in houses and more moving to the Gray's. Johnathan cried out, "help! The witch! The witch stole my child!"

Tears fell down her cheeks, but she brushed them off. She didn't have much time. Tossing the bag in the cart, she went to where her donkey slept- feeling thankful that he'd been too stubborn to go in his pen yesterday- and attached him to the cart. Fear raced through her, making her move faster and a bit clumsier. When he was attached, she climbed into the seat and leaned forward. Her cloak fell over the child like a curtain, protecting her from the night air.

She rode away, the villager's angry yells fading behind her. Once they were at a safe distance, she slowed Henry to a walk and looked down at the bundle, still fast asleep in her arms.

"I can't believe you went through all that without fussing," she whispered. The baby cooed in response, and Rosemary smiled sadly before seeing a bit of paper peeking out. She reached down to pull it out, scanning it's surface. It only said one thing- Rapunzel. The baby's name.

Rosemary laughed bitterly. Of course the child would be named after the cursed plant that had gotten her into this. A daily reminder of her poor decision.

"Don't worry, rapunzel," she whispered to the little girl. "I'll protect you and care for you as if you were my own. I promise, I'll keep you safe. In fact…" she coaxed Henry into a run, steering him through the forest. They went through a secret entrance covered in vines. She assumed no one ever went through here, because the vines looked a bit like poison ivy. Only an expert would know they weren't. Up ahead was a tower- she had found the place a few years back, and made it a second home of sorts. She went there once or twice a year, usually in winter when she didn't have to tend to her garden.

"This is our home from now on," she whispered to rapunzel. Climbing off the seat, she took the bag from her cart and slid rapunzel carefully inside. It was dangerous, but it would have to do. She really needed another way to get up and down… she thought as she climbed the tower wall.

Reaching the top, she slid inside and walked across the floor to be bed. She removed the blankets and pillows, then laid rapunzel down on it. the little girl blinked up at her for a few minutes before her eyes fell closed, and she slipped into sleep.

Rosemary spread the blanket out and laid down, her eyes falling closed. Maybe her poor choice had landed her in this mess, but if it got rapunzel away from that horrid man… she wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
